Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Canterbury, 2009. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (p. 220-239). Also available via the World Wide Web.

The Gulf of Mexico is a shared resource at risk. It is facing many problems such as exponential population growth, degrading water quality, consequences of oil and gas activities, unsustainable exploitation of resources, and lack of public education and political interest. In response, Mexico and the United States have devised their own set of programs and strategies to best manage their coastal zones. There have been a few official coastal management efforts between the U.S. Gulf states and Mexico. However, the existence of these collaborative programs does not supplant the need for a binational, integrated coastal management effort. Texas and Tamaulipas have participated in these cooperation programs, but direct coastal collaboration between the two states has been limited. Although there is an obvious disparity between the two regarding CZM practices, both states face similar challenges that require a cooperative effort and combined resources. This report explores different alternatives for binational cooperation between Texas and Tamaulipas at the regional level, in the context of the existing CZM frameworks and strategies of each state. / text

The management of the coastal zone is a complex task facing all three levels of Canadian Government. While academic research and public attention tend to focus on federal and provincial agencies, the role of local government has been left largely unexplored. This thesis examines the role of local government in coastal zone management in British Columbia and evaluates local government’s contribution to the management of the coastal zone based on the performance of local planning policies in the coastal community of Richmond, B.C. Coastal zone management (C.Z.M.) is a specialized subset of contemporary resource management models having three hierarchically integrated components representing biophysical, socio-economic and institutional subsystems. A literature review yielded many management issues of which seven were selected to reflect the local government experience in C.Z.M. The seven issues are: Habitat Conservation, Water Quality, Coastal Hazards, Public Access and Aesthetics, Public Input, Water Dependency and Interjurisdictional Coordination. The evaluation of Richmond’s C.Z.M. policies was undertaken using a methodology similar to those employed by Rosentraub (1975) and Jessen et al. (1983). A retrospective analysis of Development Permit Application files processed between 1988 and 1991 was employed in the evaluation of existing policies contained within Richmond’s Official Community Plan. While the exact extent of local responsibilities remains poorly defined by existing legislation, local regulatory powers in C.Z.M. were determined to be nonetheless significant. The British Columbia Municipal Act provided a considerable amount of regulatory authority for each of the seven coastal zone management issues, namely in the form of Zoning bylaws, Official Community Plan bylaws and Development Permits. The findings indicate that Richmond’s existing policies displayed limited effectiveness concerning the management of C.Z.M. issues such as Habitat Conservation, Water Quality, Coastal Hazards and Interjurisdictional Coordination. However, the results also suggested that local policies addressing coastal zone issues such as public access and aesthetics were effective. Furthermore, explicit policies for Water Dependency and Public Input were non existent. Several recommendations were made in this thesis. The first is an expanded recognition of C.Z.M. as a local government concern and responsibility. Further recommendations include increased interjurisdictional involvement, greater public access to waterfront surrounding industrial sites and discouraging the pressure to develop in the floodplain.

Sustainability has become synonymous with development. The concept of integrated coastal management (ICM) was derived from sustainability theory. The planning profession has an impact on the development of coastal zones through land use plans. This study aimed to demonstrate through case studies, the pros and cons of applying technological methods for the purpose of creating better quality plans. Literature, precedent studies and a local example of dualities in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has provided evidence toward the practicality of monitoring and controlling urban coastal land uses via support technology. Conclusions have been drawn based on critically analysing the data and were presented through maps, tables and graphs throughout the paper. Changing trends and patterns in the natural world, namely the impacts of climate change, have affected the urban environment. Therefore recommendations were made for further research into technological support systems available for the planning profession. / Thesis (M.T.R.P.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Waterfront development has become a global phenomenon, identified by cities as an opportunity for urban renewal through the creation of a revitalised land-water interface and its associated economic benefits for the city at large. The Durban Point Development Company (DPDC) a Public-Private Partnership, recognised the potential for renewal of the Point Precinct in Durban and initiated the Point Development Framework Plan to implement regeneration of this inner city area. The Small Craft Harbour (SCH) is one of the components of the project. It aims to stimulate further financial investment in the city through the generation of an internationally competitive marina facility. As a national legal requirement, the SCH development is required to undergo a Scoping exercise which is the initial phase of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process. During this phase the decision-making team is required to identify potentially detrimental environmental effects capture public comment and explore a number of viable options. It is therefore a crucial phase during which the issues and concerns are deliberated and the outcomes are used to generate a set of potential options for the site. However, the initial Scoping exercise was deemed inadequate in terms of meeting the broader objectives of the Point Development and as a result, was extended. This Extended Scoping Phase aimed to generate more suitable options and included an inc~eased network of specialists. The research focuses on the environmental politics of this particular phase of decision-making for the proposed SCH. A number of unique factors have contributed to an exceptionally conflictual and challenging decision-making process. Unlike other waterfront developments, Durban's SCH will be located adjacent to a prime piece of beach on Durban's Golden Mile. This introduces the complexities associated with the current user groups, namely a watersports fraternity as well as the general public. It is the unique location and the sheltered nature of the site which makes these activities possible. The proposals have thus been met with considerable resistance from these user groups whose current activities are threatened. For these reasons the social and ecological aspects of the project have been brought into stark focus and have been met with much resistance from the developers who have their own economic and financial imperatives. In the aim of applying discourse analysis as a framework to examine the environmental politics of the SCH decision-making process, the key actor, their respective discourses and the way in which they interacted was identified as well as the underlying power relations governing these (inter)actions. To provide the foundations for these objectives international theories relating to social order, governance, power and discourse were employed and their applicability to the South African development context was al 0 discussed. Castells (2000) networking logic Allen s (2003) conceptuali ations of power and Hajer and Wagenaar s (2003a) deliberative policy analysis formed the three core bodies of theory. The fourth was discourse analysis which functioned as a theory and as a methodology. Hajer s (1995 2003) approach to discour e analysis was employed to interpret the interactions between the different actors in the process using key concepts such as 'discourse coalitions and story-lines. Hajer's (1995 2003) 'argumentative approach' is also relevant as it allows for an evaluation of the continual repositioning of various individuals around certain issues through discour e. The key findings of the discour e analysis revealed that the decision-making around the SCH proposal was prone to the changing rules of the network and the subsequent shifting of the positions of the actors represented by the altered configuration of discourse coalitions. This reflects the fluid nature ofa network and the volatility of the power relations within. In response to this uncertainty, the actors adopted more deliberati e modes of engagement in line with Hajer and Wagenaar s (2003a) deliberative policy analysis and this facilitated collaboration amongst the team rather than resistance. Deliberation which is attuned to the continuous give and take in networks has thus proved successful in facilitating decision-making between conflicting interest groups. In South Africa where the overarching policy objective is democratic transformation the merits of deliberation become starkly apparent. Locally, by incorporating deliberative modes of operation into the policies and practice of the eThekwini Municipality Durban would benefit from the same levels of good governance practiced by some international policy communities. A discourse analysis of the Scoping Process of the proposed SCH has provided insight into the power relations and decision-making practices of the eThekwini Municipality as a whole serving to highlight the environmental politics which so often surrounds high-profile urban developments. International theories relating to effective governance have proved applicable to the South African developmental context and may serve to guide local and national decisionmaking processes. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2006.

The impact of development on coastal ecological processes within the coastal zone is often noted as being of ecological concern, due to the suggested destabilization of dune systems as a result of construction activities and post construction impacts such as stormwater disposal, trampling and other artificial influences on, in particular, the plant ecology of the frontal dune systems. Given that the stability of frontal dune systems along the Kwa Zulu Natal north coast is often attributed to the maintenance of vegetation and seral progression on such systems, the identification of changes in dune plant communities that may arise from the influence of proximal or adjacent activities was sought to be identified. Utilising data collected from a number of sites in the Kwa Dukuza Municipal area, the classification and ordination of environmental and botanical species information collated over approximately 6 months was undertaken. The results of this investigation indicate that: Species composition differs in terms of richness and abundance in the three frontal dune vegetation zones sampled. 2 3 4 5 Some species occur in all three zones and others are confined to one zone only. Bearing and the associated influence of wind, the slope and length of the beach, and the steepness ofthe dune face all influence the species composition at any particular site The influence of anthropogenic activities on dune synusia is such that human influence on one species may disrupt associations between species and may result in attenuation or '" reversal of seral movement. Anthropogenic impacts influences species composition at different sites by causing some species to decline abundance or disappear from a site and others to invade or oust established species. In Zone I the species that appears to be most affected by human activity is Gazania rigens, which appears to dominate in sites of high human activity, at the expense of Sporobolus virginicus. In Zone IT under high human activity species such as Cynanchum obtusifolium, Rhoicissus digitata and Sporobolus virginicus dominate, while the woody species Mimusops caffra and Eugenia capensis, as well as the liane Gloriosa superba appear to decline or be ousted from this Zone. In Zone Ill, Asystasia gangetica, is a dominant species where low to moderate human impacts are encountered, while where human impacts are high, species common to Zone I, such as G rigens may become prevalent, ousting A gangetica and grasses such as S virginicus may be ousted by more competitive species such as Stenotaphrum secundatum. It is thus concluded that human activities in and around the frontal dune system may be influential in re-inforcing aeolian impacts on sites with bearings affected by strong prevailing winds. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu- Natal,Durban, 2004.

The dissertation's point of departure and contention is that the Admiralty Reserve is one of the Coastal Resources facing degradation due to the fact that it is a common property owned by the State President on behalf of all citizens of South Africa. The environmental management function has become the unfunded mandate of local authorities therefore the administration, control and management of the Admiralty Reserve is the responsibility of local government in terms of various lease agreements. There are currently no specific tools available to local government to manage the Admiralty Reserve. The encroachment of the Admiralty Reserve has been and still is a problem for all coastal municipalities including Umdoni municipality. The rationale for the topic was to study the geography of the Admiralty Reserve, the causes of encroachments and the way in which the local authorities dealt (past and present) with the Admiralty Reserve encroachments; to assess the strategies employed by the municipalities in dealing with encroachments, and with the traditional and evolving functions of the Admiralty Reserve. This was done using standard research methods and techniques. The study is located in one of the small coastal municipalities of South Africa called Umdoni, in the Province of Kwazulu-Natal. The results of the study show that the past and present strategies of dealing with encroachments were adversarial in stance and not collaborative. The failure to administer and manage efficiently can be attributed to the following reasons: lack of capacity to deal with environmental matters and legislation, lack of political willpower, negligence on the part of both national and local government spheres, lack of stewardship, lack of proper education, training and knowledge of environmental issues and negative attitudes towards environmental matters. It was also revealed that generally people encroach into the Reserve because of greed and selfishness. One of the conclusions drawn from the findings was that the Admiralty Reserve has become a victim of fragmented control and management by various spheres of government. The Admiralty Reserve requires an integrated management approach that incorporates civic organizations, the relevant government departments, the local authority and the interested and affected individuals. Local authorities are not given proper tools to manage the Admiralty Reserve. There are many laws but none of them are relevant to the Admiralty Reserve. In the absence of usable legislative tools relevant to the Admiralty Reserve encroachments, it is highly recommended and imperative that coastal local authorities (particularly Umdoni Municipality) should formulate and strengthen their bylaws. / Thesis (M.Soc.Sc)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2005.

This research analyses the dynamics of coastal resource management in the village of Las Canas, located in the province of Pinar del Rio, Cuba. More specifically, this study examines the environmental practices and discourses of individuals in the community of Las Canas, of researchers involved in a sustainable development project focused on the mangroves in the région, and of state représentatives from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA), as well as other governmental agencies involved in the area of Las Canas. This research examines how, in a context of transformation characterized by environmental dégradation, deep économie crisis and state decentralization, thèse three catégories of social actors, that is, individuals, researchers, and state représentatives, exploit and protect natural resources and construct socio-environmental relations through linkages among themselves and with the environment.

The Mediterranean Commission on Sustainable Development (MCSD) is established as an advisory body within the Mediterranean Action Plan (MAP) framework, in order to provide advice on programs and prepare recommendations for the Contracting Parties. The MCSD identifies and evaluates major economic, environmental and social problems specified in Agenda MED 21. It aims to track the implementation of the proposals it submits to the Contracting Parties. Furthermore, the MCSD is open to participation from the main groups of the society, which have equal footing alongside government representatives. Within the limits imposed upon it, the MCSD provides a regional forum for dialogue and a promising framework for defining a regional sustainable development strategy in the Mediterranean. Its regional nature and its composition constitute an innovative contribution to promote the integration of environmental concerns in development policies. The object of this study is to evaluate the work that has been carried out by MCSD and understand the complex structure of an institution through which international and regional cooperation and coordination is achieved.

Thesis (M.Env.Sc.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2003. / "November 2002" Bibliography: leaves 82-99.